State suspends EHS principal's credentials

Eureka High School's principal has been on administrative leave since the school received notice that the state has suspended his credentials, officials said Monday.

Principal Joseph Pawlick has been on administrative leave since last Tuesday after the County Office of Education discovered that three of Pawlick's five teaching credentials were suspended late last month. Attempts to contact Pawlick were unsuccessful.

Mary Armstrong, the general counsel for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing -- the state agency which oversees the credentialing of California school teachers -- said Pawlick's credentials were suspended because of a state law requiring all licensing agencies to suspend licensing if a person has overdue child support or spousal support payments.

"All licensing agencies are required then to suspend a license," Armstrong said. Pawlick's specialist instruction credential in special education, multiple subject teaching credential and administrative services credential were suspended on March 21. Two other credentials are currently invalid because they are contingent on one of the other three.

Armstrong reiterated that the suspension is not a disciplinary action, but will remain in place until the issue is cleared up.

California law allows child support agencies to direct other agencies to suspend any kind of state licensing, according to Jim Kucharek, director of the Humboldt County Department of Child Support Services.

Kucharek said the agency will ask for a suspension if a payment is more than 30 days overdue. He said there are perfectly legitimate reasons for overdue payments, including a change in location or employment.

Superintendent Garry Eagles of the Humboldt County Office of Education said the county office only receives notice of the suspension, but not the circumstances surrounding it.

It is against the law for public schools to pay certified staff who do not have a valid credential, he said, adding that his office did not learn about the suspension until the last week of March when the administration was testing out a new program by running a credentials check.

Eureka City Schools Superintendent Gregg Haulk said the suspension is a separate matter from the school's current search for a new principal for the next school year. Pawlick was hired in August 2008, just weeks before the school year began. His contract is set to expire June 30.

Haulk said he cannot discuss details regarding personnel matters, but he is under the impression that Pawlick's suspension will be cleared up before the end of the school year.

"It's up to Dr. Pawlick to take care of that situation. My understanding is he's attempting to do so," Haulk said.

In the interim, the three assistant principals on staff are in charge with the district providing some extra support, he said.

"The three (assistant principals) are very capable of taking care of this in the short term, so we're allowing them to do so," Haulk said.